Does anyone else enjoy a good recipe from the Pioneer Woman? I read her blog/website before the Food Network gave her a show, and I find her so quirky, Southern, real, and funny. I love how reading a post from her on a recipe is not just informative but I literally laugh out loud. She pokes fun at herself for the mistakes whether she brought the wrong ingredient, messed up on her recipe, or just having a mom moment. If you have ever watched one of her cook shows (especially the early ones), you know what I am talking about. One of my favorite recipes from her is this beef stew. I actually ended up throwing everything into the slow cooker (remember, this girl has no patience and loves her crock pot) and it turned out great! I highly suggest making this especially when the weather gets cooler. My husband loved it too - it's definitely a man friendly recipe.
Ingredients
- Stew
- 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
- 1 Tablespoon Butter
- 2 pounds Beef Stew Meat (chuck Roast Cut Into Chunks)
- Salt And Pepper
- 1 whole Medium Onion, Diced
- 3 cloves Garlic, Minced
- 4 ounces, weight Tomato Paste
- 4 cups Low Sodium Beef Stock Or Broth, More If Needed For Thinning
- Several Dashes Worcestershire
- ½ teaspoons Sugar
- 4 whole Carrots, Peeled And Diced
- 2 whole Turnips, Peeled And Diced
- 2 Tablespoons Minced Fresh Parsley
- Mashed Potatoes
- 5 pounds Russet Potatoes, Peeled
- 1 package (8 Ounce) Cream Cheese, Softened
- 1 stick Butter, Softened
- ½ cups Heavy Cream
- 1 teaspoon Seasoned Salt
- Salt And Pepper, to taste
Preparation
-Salt and pepper stew meat. Heat olive oil in a large, heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add butter, and as soon as it melts, brown half the stew meat until the outside gets nice and brown, about 2 minutes. (Turn it as it browns.) Remove the meat from the pot with a slotted spoon and put it on a plate. Add the rest of the meat to the pot and brown it, too. -Remove it to the same plate. Set the meat aside.-Add the onion and garlic to the pot, stirring it to coat it in all the brown bits in the bottom of the pot. Cook for two minutes, then add the tomato paste to the pot. Stir it into the onions and let it cook for two more minutes.
-Pour in the beef stock, stirring constantly. Add the Worcestershire and sugar. Add the beef back to the pot, cover the pot, and reduce the heat to low. Simmer, covered, for 1 1/2 hours to 2 hours.
-After 1 1/2 to 2 hours, add the diced turnips and carrots to the pot. Stir to combine, put the lid back on the pot, and let it simmer for another 30 minutes. The sauce should be very thick, but if it seems overly so, splash in some beef broth until it thins it up enough. -Feel free to add beef broth as needed!
-When the carrots and turnips are tender, stir in minced parsley. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed. Serve piping hot in a bowl with mashed potatoes, letting the juice run all over everything. Sprinkle with extra minced parsley at the end.
MASHED POTATOES
-Cut the potatoes into quarters and cover with water in a large pot. Boil until potatoes are fork tender, about 25-30 minutes. Drain the potatoes, then put them back into the same pot. With the heat on low, mash the potatoes for 2 to 3 minutes to release as much steam as possible.
-Turn off heat, then add cream cheese, butter, cream, seasoned salt, salt and pepper. -Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
-Serve potatoes immediately or spread them into a buttered baking dish to be reheated later. To reheat, put them in a 375 degree oven, covered in foil, until hot.
